Folding vehicle door construction



1952 J. F. JORDAN FOLDING VEHICLE DOOR CONSTRUCTION 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 24, 1947 INVENTOR. JOHN F JORDAN.

' Jan. 8, 1952 J. F. JORDAN FOLDING VEHICLE DOOR CONSTRUCTION 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 24, 1947 m I mu INVENTOR. uoH/v F- JORDHN.

I fiTTOP/VEX Jan. 8, 1952 J F JQRDAN I 2,581,797

FOLDING VEHICLE D0012 CONSTRUCTION 7 Filed July 24, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet s IN VEN TOR. JOHN F! JORDHN.

9 T TORNE 7.

Patented Jan. 8, 1952 'FOLDING VEI IICLE DOOR CONSTRUCTION John F. Jordan, Brownsville, Pa., assignor of twenty-four. per cent to Louis S. Jordan and 24 per cent to Harry F. Jordan, Brownsville, Pa.

Application 'July 24, 1947, Serial No. 763,179

My invention is an improvement in the door. construction of motor vehicles, especially of that modern type of passenger automobile, of the coupe or other models, provided with wide door openings. r V

In such vehicles, the usual outwardly swinging single door is a source of trouble and risk upon opening, due to extreme extension of the door laterally, especially in crowded trafiic. Y

,Also, the tendencyof the door to swing backwardly, either, on a level or sloping highway, is a well known detriment, in connection with either incoming or outgoing pasengers.

My invention has in'view to greatly reduce the door opening by making the door of two hinged sections, and providing means for opening and closing them together by the usual familiar handle unlocking operation.

Also of assistance, the present construction involves coroperating automatic resistance means for preventing inward swinging or closing, as hereinafter described,

Neither of such'provisions are broadly new, per

se, and various prior constructions have been heretofore known, disclosing various forms of double doors, and also for holding the door open.

"My invention meets these problems in a satisfactory, eflicient, and novel'manner, as presented herein? 7 V.

In the drawings showing certain preferred constructions:

Fig. 1 is a, partial view in side elevation showing the door of an automobile, as closed.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line IIII of Fig. 1, showing the double doors as closed.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line III-III of Fig.1. 1

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line IVIV of Fig. 1;'showing the double door sections collapsed, and extended, as when finally opened.

Fig.6 is a vertical section onthe line V-V of Fig. 4. I

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section like Fig. 2, showing a modified construction, with the doors closed.

Fig. 7 is a similar'view showing the doors c01- lapsed, and open at approximately right angles to the body of the car.

Fig. 8 is. a similar partial detail view showing the double door in an intermediate position.

The main body of the automobile A, of any suitable or standard construction, is provided, usually at opposite sides, with an approximately rectangular entrance and exit opening within the edge portions, generally. indicated at a.

Inthe case of a, low sloping .portion, at rear or front, the edge opening, at either end, may be slopingly disposed, as at a.

The compounddoor member consists ofa'front Claims. (oi. 160-206) 2 or end portion member B, and a companion section C, hinged together by hinges 2, while one end section, as B, is similarly connected with a vertical frame member, such as a structural column 3. I

Door section C is provided with a locking and unlocking handle 4, on the outside and inside, of conventional type. Each of sections B and C is of usual rigid construction within the scope of vertical and upper and lower structural framing members 5, middle vertical pairs of such members being connected by the hinges 2.

Endmost member B is connected by suitable hinges 6 with column 3 for swinging it and member C outwardly or inwardly together, each having the usual outer thin metal sheathing l and the usual inner upholstery, not shown, but also conventional, as in Fig. 2.

Underneath the outer edge of floor 8 is a longi- A tudinal clearance opening 9, along through which extends one or a pair of guide rods l0, suitably anchored at their ends, as at Illa. Slidably engaging such rod or rods is a door controlling carriage II, to which is pivotally connected, as by hinge l2, an arm I3. Such arm I3 is pivotally connected by its terminal, as at I l, with the terminal framing member 5, or otherwise, whereby to cause the door section C to swing inwardly on its hinges 2.

Thus, as the double door is swung outwardly,

upon opening, and front section B swings on its hinges 6, section C in following, will close on its hinges 2, toward section B.

As retained by arm l3 and slidin carriage II, section C will finally assume a side by side position with relation to section B, as in Fig. i.

As shown in Fig. 3, a reinforcing upper guide rail l5, of suitable form, as by an elongated offset portion of the roof, extends lengthwise above the door opening, and serves as a resisting trackway for section C in opening. The endmost framing column 5 of the free section is provided at its' u per corner portion with a roller l6, pivotally carried by stem l'l.

As the free section C, upon closing, with both sections tending to close together as in Fig. 7, carriage H is thrust forwardly, and arm l3 exerts an inward pulling pressure, tending to hold r'oller it against the surface of guide bar rail l5, for the main portion of its movement towards section B. Another advantage is that the door is maintained in position, and prevented from rubbing against any portion of the main frame.

There is shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, a generally similar construction in which the sliding carriage Ila is mounted for a more limited movement along a supporting rod lOa, suitably connected y its termi a as in i -,8.

riage lla is consider'ably shorter than that of carriage l I.

13a, it is preferably provided with a right and left hand thread turnbuckle I325, connecting (and sections of'the arm, as shown. i 'J e Between carriage I la anda resisting abutment fixture I8, is a coiled spring l9; subject to com 'pression as the doors are closed, with-inward movement of the carriage.

When the doors are released for opening, the

compressed spring imparts outward movement to carriage Haand with resulting inward tension.

on arm i3a, as the spring expands, thereby greatly assisting in outward movement and folding 4 of said sections to a supporting door frame for pivotal movement to and from a closed position, a control apparatus for controlling the folding movement of said doors as they are moved to and from a closed position comprising 'a carriage, a trackwayon which said carriage is mounted for a guided rectilinear movement with respect to the For the purpose of adjusting the length of arm door frame, and a control link having a first pivotal connection with said carriage and a second pivotal connection with the other of said sections.

3. In a folding door having two sections hinged "togetherand a "mounting hinge for connecting necessary to operate the handle d to unlatch the r door and then pull outwardly on the handle 4.

cation of an outward pulling force to-the handle- 4. During this movement, it will be noted that the outer edge of thesection-C' does not move substantially out of the plane of the door' framein which the door is mounted; In other words,

as the door moves to and from its closed position,

the outer or free edge of the door sectionC will be restrained by the link 13 against substantial movement away from the door frame;

The construction and: operation of the invention will be readily understood and appreciatedby those familiar with the art; It may be changed or varied in detail construction; or modified otherwise by the-builder of skilled measurement;

the scope of the followingolaims;

What'I claim is: a

1'. In combination with'the sidewall of a ve' hicle having an entrance and exitj open-in'g, a double door consisting of a section hing ed to side wall at one end of theope'n'i-ng and a freely swinging section hinged to said section; snapperguide rail; a; roller on the freely swinging seotiori engaging said guide" rail, a floor for the've'hicle extending over an edgewise clearance semn'g; a"

fixed rod insai'dopeni-ng lengthwise of the vef hicle, aresistance spring on said rod,- a carriage; slidably mounted on the rod engageable with the resistance' 'spring, and atwo piece arm pivotally connected with the carriage and the freely swinging section provided with an adjusting turn buckle for varying the length of the arm. 2; In afoldin'g door having two sections hinged together and a mounting hinge f or c'orir'ictii igdne one of said sections to a supporting door frame 15 tion, a control apparatus for controlling the foldfor pivotal movement to and from a closed posiing movement of said doors as they are moved to and from a closed position comprising a stationary guide rod mounted in a horizontal posi. tion, a. carriage slidable on said rod, and a con: trol link having a first pivotal connection with. said carriage and a second pivotal connection with the other of said sections. I 4,111 a folding door having two sections hin'ged together and a mounting hinge for conneetnig ene of said sections to 'a supporting utei frame forpivotal movement to and from a closed so; ion, a carriage, a trackway on 'which sa'id carriage is mounted for a guided rectilinear movement transversely of the door name, and a control nk having a first pivotal connection with said o rriage and a second pivotal conne'ction with the other of said sections, said link moving pivota'hy about said first connection and -transversely-=of said door frame with said carriage spons'e opening and closing movements of said door about its mounting hinge and being thereby effec' tive to fold and unfold said do or-sections on each other while restraining the o'uter edge of said other door section against 'sub'stantialmovenient away from said door frame.

5. In a folding door having two sections w en; together anus mounting inge for eomie nng one of said sections-to a supporting door r tion, a carriage, a trackway on Whichsaid'c riage is mounted for guided rectninear ment transversely of the door frame, and trol' link Having a first pivotal said carriage an Iafs'e'oond with the oth'e'rof sid' sections, said link h a length and the location ,o'f s tions Hing such tht said abs-r sections are 1 ded upon each other withoutsubstantialrifove ment of "theses edge of saw. castaway said: frame in response to as g and closing movements o'f}the (its; y force stereo their to said other door section.

R sntsr '5 The following referencesjare of record; the... file of this patent:

UNITED "STATES, A Ts Number Name Date.

, i527-,470 Wilbor ";.O0l.16,1894; 605,887 Ludwig June 21; 139a: j 1;511,697 Westby .Oct:"14,.-1924 1,773,634 Schneider Aug; 19 11-9130; f 1 8961591" Winchell 4;; Feb.- 7,.11933 2 ,014,591 sanders Sept;-;.1-7, 1935:; z,241 ,179 Brenkert I May 6; 1941*; 2333312: 1 Grmstead: z. Nov...-.2;-:1943 

